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Did Harry Have a Choice NOT to be the Chosen One?, would any other person have succeeded the way he did?

Who was the biggest Hero?
You cannot see the results of the poll until you have voted. Please login and cast your vote to see the results of this poll.
Total Votes: 240
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Iheartprofessors... Iheartprofessorsnape View Member Profile	Dec 5 2008, 08:50 PM Post #1
Property of the Half-Blood Prince Posts: 6,301 Joined: 10:10pm February 23, 2007 Location: Paying my last respects to Severus Snape	I have often wondered as I've read the series, who is the bigger hero? On the one hand I see Harry who sacrificed so much throughout his life, and a lot before he even knew what was happening to him or had any type of control. Had Harry not been chosen, Neville would have taken his place. Neville was a hero of the story, not out of anything that was done outside of him, but by what he had inside him. Harry also didn't have a choice, but he alone had to be the one who faced Voldemort in the end. He brought down the worst wizard of the time, but is he a bigger hero than Neville or the rest because it was something he had to do verses something others chose to do? Please explain your choices below as well as ask yourself, "could anyone else have truly taken his place?" This post has been edited by Iheartprofessorsnape: Dec 5 2008, 09:07 PM -------------------- Albus Severus...you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew." Harry Potter

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Harrys Horntail View Member Profile	Dec 8 2008, 12:54 AM Post #2
The nicer member of the A-team Posts: 5,554 Joined: 5:33pm March 30, 2007 Location: Pushing the sweets trolley on the Hogwarts Express	QUOTE(Iheartprofessorsnape @ Dec 6 2008, 02:50 PM) is he a bigger hero than Neville or the rest because it was something he had to do verses something others chose to do? I personally think Harry's act of heroism is the biggest one. He did have a choice; he could still have chosen to walk away, save himself and allow Voldemort to survive, but he chose to face it and die. None of those other acts of heroism was done in the absolute knowledge of certain death. Everyone else had a hope that they could come back from what they did and go on. Hermione could retrieve her parents, Fred knew there was a possibility of death but didn't know for sure he would die. Harry walked to his own absolute certain death to protect the others around him. I think that takes something 'more' than just being prepared to die if it happens. He says it himself ... all those other times he fights back to avoid death, this time he has to let it happen and it is much much harder for him to do that but he still chooses to. Of course I'm biased because I'm a big Harry fan girl, but to me the only other one that comes close is Snape's. --------------------

Eva Hedwig View Member Profile	Dec 8 2008, 02:15 AM Post #3
Luring Muggles into Knockturn-Alley Posts: 5,323 Joined: 1:37am January 29, 2005 Location: In the south where no Dementor can find me	I choose Harry, but the others are very brave also and I would have liked to have more options. Harry was the bravest, he went after V. in PS/SS, he went into the Chamber to safe Ginny from the basilisk, he fought the dragon, faced V. in the graveyard, went to the MoM to safe Sirius, ... and finaly he walked right into death's arm. He was always free to choose and did not back away, whatever challenge he had to go through. But Dobby comes very close behind him, he knew that saving Harry involved a deathly risk but went on bravely. And Neville - looking directly into V. eyes disobeying him in front of V. and his suporters. Hermione helping Harry out of very tight spots, getting rid of Nagini, lying convincingly to Bella, great logic and understanding of related facts, quick thinking. Harry's parents defending him even if there was no change of surviving. Mad Eye, who didn't disapparate staying loyal. Snape staying loyal to Lily, colaborating with DD and helping Harry all the time to persue his final goal against V. Well the book is full of heros, all together made a better world possible. This post has been edited by Eva Hedwig: Dec 8 2008, 02:20 AM

WilliamBlood William Blood View Member Profile	Dec 8 2008, 02:37 AM Post #4
Getting Fitted for New Dress Robes Posts: 45 Joined: 11:10pm September 16, 2006	Can't add anymore to the first statement then has already been said. As Dumbledore states in 6, the Prophecy didn't mean anything in reality. Harry was always going to fight against Lord Voldemort, with or without his parents by his side. All the Prophecy did was give fate over to Lord Voldemort to do what he wills with it. Snape was always meant to over hear the Prophecy, relay what he had heard to Lord Voldemort and have his love killed for it. Snape in my opinion didn't do enough to become a hero in my eyes, don't get me wrong he was on the good side, but it was for selfish reasons. Neville, is a hero, but not the biggest, he did improve on what he started out being, but still a little more trying to replace Harry and not being himself. Hermione and her parents, it was a big ask for Hermione, but she knew they would be safe either way, so it was a little bit on the selfish side. Dobby, a good house-elf, Dobby can't be a hero because selfishness walks in his wake, he did over come the fear of his old masters but he did it of course because he wanted to save Harry Potter. Dumbledore, would be a bigger hero, than Harry, he knew his time was up and if he could stand properly he would have faced it head on, he didn't get to save himself. Fred, I wouldn't call that a heroic death, he was could unawares in a sneak attack. George ear, he is still alive, you can't call running away from Snape a big heroic tale, of course show it off as a war wound but to be a big hero I don't think so. Tonks and Lupin would be a good example, not as big as Harry and Dumbledore, but still deserving of a Hero title. Lupin who had been scorn by Wizard kind come to help them. Tonks rushing off to save the one she loves, these are unselfish reason of heroism. Molly struck in vengence, to save her Daughter, not saying that everyone has to remain good when they save someone. But to be a Hero, you have to do it for the right reasons. All through Dumbledore's life he has always thought of others before himself. Even in his darkest hours he was still thinking of someone other than himself. He might have hated looking after his brother and sister, but he still did it, he wanted his brother to have an education, when he could have stayed to look after his sister. When the fight broken out Dumbledore took the whole blame for the outcome, Aberforth even if it was him that did the curse still would have blamed his brother for it. Grindlewald would never had even paid a mind to if it was him that might have killed her.

Kaatje1981 View Member Profile	Dec 8 2008, 06:52 AM Post #5
Getting Fitted for New Dress Robes Posts: 45 Joined: 4:27am October 4, 2007 Location: training to be a Transfiguration-teacher	To me, the biggest hero is Harry. The sacrifice he was willing to make when facing Voldemort in the Forest was just heroic and very brave. The prophecy could have made his deed less heroic if he would have considered himself 'victem of the profecy'. But Dumbledore made sure Harry saw the prophecy in the right perspective, and when he finally made the sacrifice he didn't do it because of the prophecy, but completely because of the brave man he had become. Because of this, I'd say it was even more heroic. -------------------- -It's our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities- Albus Dumbledore

SilverDragoness View Member Profile	Dec 8 2008, 08:48 AM Post #6
Kibble Boy/Girl at the Magical Menagerie Posts: 299 Joined: 12:20pm March 17, 2006 Location: Utah, USA	Like the others, I have to say Harry. Because, despite what you said (and as was pointed out), as Dumbledore himself told Harry -- he DID have a choice, and again like was said, he did it with full and complete knowledge of the consequences of that choice (dying) and he did it anyway. Not to say that the others you listed weren't heroic in their own right. But I think Harry tops them all out. Just my opinion though. -------------------- Silver Dragoness My sister's book: "Fingerprints" (Helix Series: Book 1) by R.C. Lewis (Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy). Please "Back" it if you like it!

OneHeadedDog View Member Profile	Dec 8 2008, 11:07 AM Post #7
Eeylops Owl Cage Cleaner Posts: 231 Joined: 10:18am October 9, 2008 Location: Canada	I chose Harry but I think all those people you pointed out really were hero's aswell and each sacrificed a huge deal for the same reason. Like, Hermione and Ron never had to get involved with helping Harry and do these life threatening tasks but they did and each sacrificed A LOT just to help him get the job done. Also, it never had to be Harry. I remember reading that Neville could've also been the chosen one but Voldemort just chose Harry. Really, like I said before, they've all done large things that makes them each heroes not just the things you pointed out in the poll. --------------------

Wendall View Member Profile	Dec 8 2008, 11:30 AM Post #8
Quality Quidditch Supplies Test-Flyer Posts: 1,279 Joined: 3:47pm November 27, 2006 Location: Dublin	I voted for Harry too. I also went for more of a hero after hearing the prophecy. He was, undoubtedly, already heroic before he heard the prophecy. Facing Voldemort 3 times before he was 16 years old, fighting the basilisk, a dragon etc etc. Even before he knew it was his destiny to fight Voldemort, he did it out of choice, because Voldemort was evil and it was the right thing to do. But after being told he was the chosen one I think it was even harder. He did still have a choice, he could have walked away, but there was even more pressure on him to fight, even though the chances of surviving would seem minimal. And then walking to his death was amazing. It's easy enough to fight to survive, when you haven't much choice, but to walk slowly to certain death is definitely the most heroic thing done in the books.

Iheartprofessors... Iheartprofessorsnape View Member Profile	Dec 8 2008, 01:28 PM Post #9
Property of the Half-Blood Prince Posts: 6,301 Joined: 10:10pm February 23, 2007 Location: Paying my last respects to Severus Snape	To agree to someone or another is great, but I still wonder about the main question, could Harry have chosen NOT to be the Chosen One? Could Harry have left the other "heroes" of the story to fight that battle in the Great Hall? Looking at all the "heroes" up there and their different acts that made them become one, could any of them stepped up if Harry said, nope, not going to do it? -------------------- Albus Severus...you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew." Harry Potter

~Dumbledore'... ~Dumbledore's~Ghost¿~ View Member Profile	Dec 8 2008, 01:49 PM Post #10
Exploding Snap Champion Posts: 1,741 Joined: 1:02pm August 11, 2005 Location: Hogwarts.	Well I think Harry was the bravest. He walked in to that forest knowing that he had to die. He had a choice & chose to do 'the right thing'. All the others didn't know they would die, yes they knew they were in mortal peril but that's different. It's like the difference between running though a mine field or laying on a hand grenade. Yes you might step on a mine but you will be blown up by the hand grenade. Knowing what you have to face & doing it anyway is far braver than doing something on the spur of the moment without the thought of 'what if?' Isn't that what Jesus' teaches & shows us? -------------------- Born in July 1881 - Died in June 1997. "I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me... Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." Albus Dumbledore¿

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